كأنَّ القَنا والمَشْرفيَّةَ بالضُّحى

كأنَّ القَنا والمَشْرفيَّةَ بالضُّحى

لدى مأزقٍ غابت بصبحٍ كواكبهْ

لدى مأزقٍ غابت بصبحٍ كواكبهْ

It is as though the spears and Mashrafi swords at forenoon,

The palace and al-Mashrafiyya at dawn

amid a battle's crush whose stars had faded at dawn,

Seem at an impasse where its stars have vanished

تُصَرِّفها أبطالُ وِتْرٍ تَرفَّعوا

تُصَرِّفها أبطالُ وِتْرٍ تَرفَّعوا

عن الشَّنقِ المرذول والعار صاحبه

عن الشَّنقِ المرذول والعار صاحبه

wielded by warriors seeking vengeance, who rose above

Ruled by the heroes of a noble lineage

paltry, ignoble blood-money and the shame that attends it,

Who spurned the despised strangling and its disgraceful companion

أبَوْا غير ضربٍ في المفارق أرْعلِ

أبَوْا غير ضربٍ في المفارق أرْعلِ

وطعنٍ كولْغ الذئب تدمى ثعالبهْ

وطعنٍ كولْغ الذئب تدمى ثعالبهْ

accepting only gashing blows to the crowns of heads

They refused anything but a fatal blow in the battlefields

and thrusts like a wolf's lapping, their shaft-tips bloodied,

And a stab like a wolf’s fang that bloodies foxes

سُطا شرف الدين الوزير وعزمهُ

سُطا شرف الدين الوزير وعزمهُ

على الأمر أعْيا القادرين مطالبُهْ

على الأمر أعْيا القادرين مطالبُهْ

were the onslaughts of Sharaf al-Din the vizier, and his resolve

Suta's honor and determination

against a task whose demands had baffled the able.

Against the matter made the capable weary of its demands

همامٌ كنصل السيف ندبٌ إِلى العلى

همامٌ كنصل السيف ندبٌ إِلى العلى

جزيلٌ أياديهِ كثيرٌ مَناقبهْ

جزيلٌ أياديهِ كثيرٌ مَناقبهْ

A man of mettle, like a sword's blade, eager for the heights,

Aspirations like the sharp edge of a sword, a call to the heights

abundant are his favors, and many his virtues.

Abundant are his hands and numerous his virtues

اذا شطَّ مأمولٌ من المجد والعُلى

اذا شطَّ مأمولٌ من المجد والعُلى

حوتْهُ له أقلامهُ وقواضِبهْ

حوتْهُ له أقلامهُ وقواضِبهْ

When a hoped-for prize of glory and eminence lies far away,

Whenever hopes of glory and sublimity brewed

his pens and his keen swords secure it for him.

His pens and arrows contained them for him

فماضٍ وهاماتُ الرجالِ غُمودُه

فماضٍ وهاماتُ الرجالِ غُمودُه

وجارٍ وساحاتِ الطُّروسِ مذاهبه

وجارٍ وساحاتِ الطُّروسِ مذاهبه

Thus one is keen-edged, with men's heads for its sheaths,

Progressing while the zeal of men are his pillars

and the other runs, with parchment's expanses for its paths.

Ongoing while the plains of steeds are his paths

تبارى اليهِ عند سَلْمٍ ومَعْركٍ

تبارى اليهِ عند سَلْمٍ ومَعْركٍ

حميديْنِ منه كُتبهُ وكَتائبهْ

حميديْنِ منه كُتبهُ وكَتائبهْ

Toward him they vie, in peace and battle:

Racing to him in peace and battle

his writings and his battalions, both praiseworthy and sent forth by him.

Are his praiseworthy books and battalions

اذا بخل الجون المُسفُّ بودقْهِ

اذا بخل الجون المُسفُّ بودقْهِ

على مُسْنتٍ أغنتهُ عنه رغائبهْ

على مُسْنتٍ أغنتهُ عنه رغائبهْ

When the dark, low-hanging cloud withholds its rain

When the clouds' rain is stingy with its pouring

from a famine-stricken man, his lavish gifts leave him no need of it.

His good qualities make him needless of wishes

طليقُ المُحيَّا يسبق البشر جوده

طليقُ المُحيَّا يسبق البشر جوده

وتتبعُ حُسْنَ الاِعتذارِ مواهبه

وتتبعُ حُسْنَ الاِعتذارِ مواهبه

His countenance is open; his generosity precedes his smile,

Unbound in gallantry, his generosity outpaces mankind

and his gifts follow his gracious apology.

And his excellent apologies are rewarded

كأَنَّ نديَّ الحي عند حديثهِ

كأَنَّ نديَّ الحي عند حديثهِ

مُعرَّسُ داريٍّ تُفضُّ حقائبُهْ

مُعرَّسُ داريٍّ تُفضُّ حقائبُهْ

It is as though the clan's assembly, when he speaks,

As if the Zephyr's delight in his talk

were a Dari perfumer's resting-place, with his packs opened.

Were a Dar'i voice revealing its burdens

فلا ناشِقٌ اِلا جَوادٌ وباسِلٌ

فلا ناشِقٌ اِلا جَوادٌ وباسِلٌ

تَهزُّهُما أخلاقهُ ومذاهبهْ

تَهزُّهُما أخلاقهُ ومذاهبهْ

So none breathes in the scent but a generous man and a brave one,

No stubborn but magnanimous and valiant

both stirred by his character and his ways.

In morals and paths shaken by him

فتىً طابَ ميلاداً وطابَ غريزةً

فتىً طابَ ميلاداً وطابَ غريزةً

وطابت مساعيه وطابتْ مكاسبهْ

وطابت مساعيه وطابتْ مكاسبهْ

A young man of noble birth and noble nature,

A lad of blessed birth and nature

and noble are his endeavors, and noble are his gains.

And blessed are his endeavors and gains

فجاء كغمرِ الماء يُرْدي مُزحماً

فجاء كغمرِ الماء يُرْدي مُزحماً

ويُسْبحُ عوَّاماً ويلْتذُّ شاربه

ويُسْبحُ عوَّاماً ويلْتذُّ شاربه

So he came like deep water, felling whoever forces his way in,

So he came like pouring rain, crowding

and buoying a skilled swimmer, while its drinker delights in it.

Swimming playfully, enjoying its drinker

يُجاهرُ بالضرب العنيفِ بَسالةً

يُجاهرُ بالضرب العنيفِ بَسالةً

ويكْبُرُ قدراً أنْ تدبَّ عقاربُهْ

ويكْبُرُ قدراً أنْ تدبَّ عقاربُهْ

He openly strikes fierce blows with valor,

Boasting courageously of fierce blows

and is too great in stature for his scorpions to creep.

And excelling, though time creeps slowly

أَبو جعفرٍ غرس الخلافة مصطفى الا

أَبو جعفرٍ غرس الخلافة مصطفى الا

ِمامةِ هادي كل مجدٍ وغاربُهْ

ِمامةِ هادي كل مجدٍ وغاربُهْ

Abu Jaʿfar, the caliphate's scion, the chosen one of the

Abu Ja'far has planted the caliphate, Mustafa

imamate, the head of every glory and its crest.

The guiding Imam of all glory and its horizons

أباحَ ظلامَ الليلِ والحَظِّ جودُه

أباحَ ظلامَ الليلِ والحَظِّ جودُه

ونورُ مُحيّاهُ فزالتْ غَياهبُهْ

ونورُ مُحيّاهُ فزالتْ غَياهبُهْ

The darkness of night and fortune was dispelled by his generosity

His generosity permitted the darkness of night and fortune

and the light of his face; so its deep shadows vanished.

And the light of his existence banished its ambiguities